Samurai Blades: Your Own Knife-Making Tour in Gifu

For centuries, Japan has honed the art of heating and shaping metals, with creations ranging from decorative pieces to practical tools and weapons that draw allure worldwide today. Yet no one tells the history of knife-making quite like Seki City, the capital of Japanese swords, hailed as the "City of Blades" and known for producing some of the most sophisticated knives in the world. Here, you can discover the intricacies of Japanese knives and even become a knife artisan yourself!

This experience begins with a knife-making workshop at the swordsmith studio in G. Sakai Knife Museum. Here, Sumio and his brother Yoshirou will personally guide you in creating your own Damascus knife, drawing on their combined experience of over 90 years in the craft as they tell you how to mold and forge metal into works of art that last a lifetime.

Participants will engage in the traditional Japanese knife-making process, witnessing how the Damascus knife, easily recognizable for its beautifully abstract-patterned surface, gets its motif. Stacks of separate alloy layers are welded, heated and hammered together in a method known as forging. This labor-intensive technique results in a distinct blade pattern that turns a regular sword into a work of art.

Once the knife surface is polished, you'll handwrite your name on it and use an acid etching to reveal the Damascus pattern. Then, you’ll sharpen it using a traditional whetstone. You'll then test its sharpness by using it to cut vegetables.

Following the knife-making experience, you will visit the Seki Traditional Swordsmith Museum. Here, you can learn about the city’s 800-year sword-making history while exploring the impressive array of historical swords on display. You'll conclude the tour with lunch at a local restaurant in Seki.